On being seen
The flinch when someone gets close, the beliefs underneath it, and the armor you put on so it wouldn't hurt.
About this arc
Three weeks in Brené Brown's arena
Armoring up
against the risk of being seen
Naming shame
out loud, where it can't grow
Daring
to show up without guarantees
Rising strong
from the dust, and whole
The flinch
Uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure.
The small recoil when someone gets close — and the old beliefs that taught you being seen was dangerous.
Beats 1–2
The shape of this arc
On being seen
Brené Brown is a social work researcher at the University of Houston who spent more than twenty years collecting people's stories about courage, shame and connection. What she kept finding surprised her. The people with the deepest sense of love and belonging weren't better, luckier or more put-together than anyone else. They believed they were worthy of love and belonging — and they were willing to be seen.
After Brené Brown — The Gifts of Imperfection (2010), Daring Greatly (2012), Rising Strong (2015), Braving the Wilderness (2017), Dare to Lead (2018)